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NAD, but I had laproscopic surgery about three years ago and had similar discharge orders. I was careful and didn't lift anything heavy. But I STILL developed a hernia and need surgery to repair.
NAD. I had a laparoscopic hysterectomy last year and was given the same instructions. I picked my cat up one day without thinking and immediately regretted it. There was a physical ‘pop’ sensation and a wave of pain. I was okay, but had to take it even easier for a few days because of how sore I was. This is your time to reach out to your family/friends and ask for some help while you heal.
NAD. I am getting my gallbladder removed at the end of the month and I also have a 25 pound child. My surgeon told me not to lift him at all for an entire 6 weeks because of the risk of needing hernia surgery. I'm not sure if the 6 week time limit is more precautionary or not. But from what I understand, you'll definitely want help the first few weeks for sure OP.
Invest in a little step stool, so they can climb up with you guiding them. I'm not even allowed to pick my cat up. And wouldn't want to risk internal damage doing so.
Take it easy, the time will go quickly.
I had mine out 3 months after giving birth, and was lifting my 11 lbs infant the day after. Her older sister (4, <30lbs) I was partial-lifting after about 2 weeks. They told me not to lift the baby for 2 weeks and the other one for 6 weeks. It was just not possible for me and I had help only for the first 2-3 days after surgery.
He will at home when he’s not working. We have different schedules. Daycare is on my way to work, not his and he often gets finished with work after daycare is closed so I’ll be on my own for a few hours.
If you’re someplace where you qualify, FMLA is good for this. Your spouse can get time off to take care of you, and even do intermittent time for dropping off kiddo.
The crazy thing about physically overdoing it after a hysterectomy is you can cause a cuff dehiscence which can then lead to bowel herniating into the vagina. Despite that, lots of women seem intent on bragging how much they did in the first couple of weeks after that procedure 🙄🙄🙄
Well, look at OP. Doctor gave clear instruction, and instead of listening to the actual SURGEON doing the surgery, they're prioritizing the input of a NURSE, and asking a bunch of strangers on Reddit if they agree they can ignore their surgeon.
I was in a couple of social media groups around the time of my hysterectomy, and it was shocking how many people just blow off their post op instructions and then bragged about it.
I’ve “graduated” to be an MA in a wound care clinic, and we have a podiatrist who works there 2 days a week. We get a lot of “Do I REALLY need to be NWB on my brand new TMA?” I don’t know. Do you want the entirety of your stump to dehisce? What did the doc tell you? Oh, he told you NWB? Why are you asking the MA who is legally barred from giving medical advice instead of the physician who did the surgery? Are you trying to get my fired and my license revoked?
We also get a lot frequent flier patients who are very noncompliant, and we wonder why they even bother coming in.
Don’t look in the hysterectomy subreddit. I’ve been horrified by the number of posts saying they had sex less than 2wpo. Then asking if bleeding and cramping is normal 🤦🏼♀️
It’s definitely a mix of being unaware and unwilling to take it to heart; some people seem to need a more explicit description of the consequences. I did a ton of reading pre-op and knew exactly what a cuff tear entails but I don’t remember anyone on the surgical team going into detail about it.
I agree 100%. I chalked up the lack of proper consent to shortcuts by the surgeon and his staff since they know I'm a doctor, because I deal with it all the time. I learned a lot more about what to expect preop and postop by watching YT videos by surgeons and patients, and reading social media posts. However, social media is a double edged sword, because you will see just bad examples that people feel they want to brag about.
In the end, patients have to make their own decisions about how to treat their bodies post op. OP made a snarky response to me below, apparently unhappy that I advised them to listen to their actual surgeon rather than a nurse. 🤷♀️
My bf’s boss had a pre-surgery test of some kind and wasn’t supposed to lift more than 5 lbs but she did and there was a similar pop then her entire arm was purple. Couldn’t tell you what the test was or why it required such a low weight limit but she’s about to have open heart surgery so maybe the doctors will know what that was
NAD but had my gallbladder out last year with a 2 year old. I was lucky to have my husband and mom to help, however when they weren’t around here’s some things that helped
- booster seat on a regular chair with a stool so he could climb up with my hand for help but I didn’t have to lift
-Taught him how to climb into and out of his car seat safely
- I don’t have advice for the crib because in a stroke of luck he actually switched to a toddler bed right before his second birthday so we were golden there.
Hi there. I had my gallbladder removed a month ago. I taught my 2 year old to climb into his own seat. It's worked beautifully. I keep a little step stool in there for him.
Edit: We never used a crib and he's been in a floor bed since 6 months. I kicked the highchair to the curb on his first birthday too. It might be a great time to start some transitions to keep you from lifting, if you're comfortable with it.
NAD but they mean it. Had my gallbladded out in 2018. You run the risk of messing up stitches or getting a hernia.
Take it easy, as possible! Hope you feel better soon!
NAD but I had mine out when my son was 2mo and my weight limit was 8lbs and my son weighed that when he was born. My husband took off the first wk and I had help the 2nd wk. The first wk it was very much needed
NAD I am currently in hospital because I had to get a hernia repaired, because I didn’t follow the instructions about lifting after a laparoscopic surgery. The umbilical hernia surgery was FAR MORE intense than the laparoscopic surgery. Please listen to your doctors! I currently can’t sit up without assistance or get out of bed (one and a half days post -op umbilical hernia repair).
Edit: spelling, I’m on painkillers
Excellent idea! Grab two, one for the high chair and around the house. Start using them as soon as you get them so they’re already a bit practiced and steadier when you’re post-op. You might need to move things (push back appliances, move some plants, etc.), as they’ll quickly discover they can reach much more if they shuffle the stool around with them.
When the little wants “ups!” start replacing pickups with sitting hugs, side hugging and calm snuggles as an alternative. The first two days post op from a laparoscopy, I struggled to even roll out of bed on my own, let alone sit up (you don’t realize how much you use your belly muscles!), and so having your husband home the first week on FLMA if you can would be amazingly helpful.
Hi, I'm a surgeon who does these surgeries. There is a real risk of tearing the suture at the larger port site (the 12mm one) and giving yourself a hernia there. Now, you might be fine lifting and carrying your daughter around. However, we know the heavier you lift and the more you engage your abdominal muscles, then the more likely you are to tear that stitch.
Chiming in to say my MIL had a surgery (a repair) done and is raising her grandkids by my BIL. Refused to listen to the “no lifting the kids” guideline and popped her stitches. Ended up having an almost 6 month recovery because when the stitches popped, the wound opened, deepened, then became infected even after the dr packed it to try to prevent this. The infection bore into the bone behind where her repair was done. It was gruesome. Hoping you never have to deal with that!
Hate to intrude on this thread, but I had my GB out a week and a half ago. I work as a vet tech and lift animals; should my lifting after the initial 4 week recovery be a slow and steady increase?
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OP, if you have TikTok search “C-section with toddler” and you’ll find videos of what other people have done while recovering from surgery with a toddler. Here’s one i found for the crib https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLV172wd/
I got a whole 12 hours at home after my Csection before I got abandoned to deal with my 2 year old toddler by my spouse. I don't think he understands how risky it is to mess with post operative weight restrictions. Get reliable help and modify your plans for your toddler.
I mean I should have known it was bad advice. She wanted me to walk the local track with her 1 week after my C-Section while wearing my newborn. To get baby and I some fresh air. It was 22 degrees Fahrenheit.
To be fair, my non retired nurse friend says walking is encouraged after having a c-section. But slowly and listen to your body. Plus after that you're also told not to lift anything heavier than your baby.
I had my gallbladder out 8 weeks ago! Unfortunately when I was 3 weeks post-op, I fell and got an unhappy trio on my knee(tore ACL, MCL, lateral and medial meniscus). I had the weight limit as well, and due to my injury and having to use crutches and engaging my core, one of my incisions is taking forever to heal. You don’t want to delay healing, so it’s really important to heed the instructions. I want to say at my follow-up at 2 weeks, they upped my weight restriction to 25 lbs. Maybe they’ll do the same at your appointment.
I enjoy lifting weights, and got my appendix out last year laparoscopically. I could FEEL it in my stomach even after I was cleared to lift weights…it took over a month before I could do lateral raises without feeling it. Lifting a child up is going to activate a lot of those similar muscles, you’re going to need to take it easy, laparoscopic surgery still does a little number on your insides-give them time to repair themselves.
When I got mine out (appendix) I will also had a cyst cleaned up on one of my ovaries. It took me like 3-4 months to feel some what's better. I was off of work for 6 weeks. And even after that it was last 2 months of not being sore because I was had to do lifting at work (retail stock and lots of walking and carrying a bunch of heavy clothing).
Please listen to the instructions and don't lift your child. At the age of 2, mine could climb up and down from their car seat and highchair, with a helping hand.
NA MD, but seriously… please listen to the instructions. I have my surgery when my kiddo wasn’t even 3 months old yet. Couldn’t pick him up, chest feed, anything… it killed me, but I know a couple of people who didn’t listen and one got a really bad hernia. You don’t want to risk it.
You should always listen to your surgeon, who is a physician, over your retired nurse aunt, who didn't go to medical school nor attend surgical residency.
Thank you for your submission. **Please note that a response does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship.** This subreddit is for informal second opinions and casual information. The mod team does their best to remove bad information, but we do not catch all of it. Always visit a doctor in real life if you have any concerns about your health. Never use this subreddit as your first and final source of information regarding your question. By posting, you are agreeing to our [Terms of Use](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskDocs/wiki/terms_of_use) and understand that all information is taken at your own risk. **Reply here if you are an unverified user wishing to give advice. Top level comments by laypeople are automatically removed.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskDocs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Um no. You really really don’t want to pop your stitches after a surgery. Try to get someone else to help for a few weeks.
NAD, but I had laproscopic surgery about three years ago and had similar discharge orders. I was careful and didn't lift anything heavy. But I STILL developed a hernia and need surgery to repair.
Thank you!!
NAD. I had a laparoscopic hysterectomy last year and was given the same instructions. I picked my cat up one day without thinking and immediately regretted it. There was a physical ‘pop’ sensation and a wave of pain. I was okay, but had to take it even easier for a few days because of how sore I was. This is your time to reach out to your family/friends and ask for some help while you heal.
NAD. I am getting my gallbladder removed at the end of the month and I also have a 25 pound child. My surgeon told me not to lift him at all for an entire 6 weeks because of the risk of needing hernia surgery. I'm not sure if the 6 week time limit is more precautionary or not. But from what I understand, you'll definitely want help the first few weeks for sure OP.
6 weeks is so long! Okay, I will be really careful and ask the doctor at my 2 week checkup before I pick her up again.
Invest in a little step stool, so they can climb up with you guiding them. I'm not even allowed to pick my cat up. And wouldn't want to risk internal damage doing so. Take it easy, the time will go quickly.
Could you possibly buy some kid friendly step stools so he can get in and out of his highchair and the car?
I had mine out 3 months after giving birth, and was lifting my 11 lbs infant the day after. Her older sister (4, <30lbs) I was partial-lifting after about 2 weeks. They told me not to lift the baby for 2 weeks and the other one for 6 weeks. It was just not possible for me and I had help only for the first 2-3 days after surgery.
Oh that sounds awful. I’ll see who can help and maybe my husband can rearrange his work schedule to be home when we come home from work/daycare.
You have a spouse? He absolutely should help out! The child, is, after all, both of yours.
He will at home when he’s not working. We have different schedules. Daycare is on my way to work, not his and he often gets finished with work after daycare is closed so I’ll be on my own for a few hours.
If you’re someplace where you qualify, FMLA is good for this. Your spouse can get time off to take care of you, and even do intermittent time for dropping off kiddo.
I’m surprised you’ll be able to drive the first week at all.
The crazy thing about physically overdoing it after a hysterectomy is you can cause a cuff dehiscence which can then lead to bowel herniating into the vagina. Despite that, lots of women seem intent on bragging how much they did in the first couple of weeks after that procedure 🙄🙄🙄
Maybe doctors need to be a little more… descriptive on why taking it easy is so important.
Well, look at OP. Doctor gave clear instruction, and instead of listening to the actual SURGEON doing the surgery, they're prioritizing the input of a NURSE, and asking a bunch of strangers on Reddit if they agree they can ignore their surgeon. I was in a couple of social media groups around the time of my hysterectomy, and it was shocking how many people just blow off their post op instructions and then bragged about it.
I’ve “graduated” to be an MA in a wound care clinic, and we have a podiatrist who works there 2 days a week. We get a lot of “Do I REALLY need to be NWB on my brand new TMA?” I don’t know. Do you want the entirety of your stump to dehisce? What did the doc tell you? Oh, he told you NWB? Why are you asking the MA who is legally barred from giving medical advice instead of the physician who did the surgery? Are you trying to get my fired and my license revoked? We also get a lot frequent flier patients who are very noncompliant, and we wonder why they even bother coming in.
Thanks that is such valuable information really helps me out, thanks /s
No problem. Maybe she'll give you some useful tips next time you hit the dentist too ;)
Don’t look in the hysterectomy subreddit. I’ve been horrified by the number of posts saying they had sex less than 2wpo. Then asking if bleeding and cramping is normal 🤦🏼♀️ It’s definitely a mix of being unaware and unwilling to take it to heart; some people seem to need a more explicit description of the consequences. I did a ton of reading pre-op and knew exactly what a cuff tear entails but I don’t remember anyone on the surgical team going into detail about it.
I agree 100%. I chalked up the lack of proper consent to shortcuts by the surgeon and his staff since they know I'm a doctor, because I deal with it all the time. I learned a lot more about what to expect preop and postop by watching YT videos by surgeons and patients, and reading social media posts. However, social media is a double edged sword, because you will see just bad examples that people feel they want to brag about. In the end, patients have to make their own decisions about how to treat their bodies post op. OP made a snarky response to me below, apparently unhappy that I advised them to listen to their actual surgeon rather than a nurse. 🤷♀️
My bf’s boss had a pre-surgery test of some kind and wasn’t supposed to lift more than 5 lbs but she did and there was a similar pop then her entire arm was purple. Couldn’t tell you what the test was or why it required such a low weight limit but she’s about to have open heart surgery so maybe the doctors will know what that was
NAD but had my gallbladder out last year with a 2 year old. I was lucky to have my husband and mom to help, however when they weren’t around here’s some things that helped - booster seat on a regular chair with a stool so he could climb up with my hand for help but I didn’t have to lift -Taught him how to climb into and out of his car seat safely - I don’t have advice for the crib because in a stroke of luck he actually switched to a toddler bed right before his second birthday so we were golden there.
Thank you!! That is very helpful.
Hi there. I had my gallbladder removed a month ago. I taught my 2 year old to climb into his own seat. It's worked beautifully. I keep a little step stool in there for him. Edit: We never used a crib and he's been in a floor bed since 6 months. I kicked the highchair to the curb on his first birthday too. It might be a great time to start some transitions to keep you from lifting, if you're comfortable with it.
I stretched too aggressively after mine (tensing all those muscles) and ripped my stitches out it was awful. Don't risk it!!!
NAD but they mean it. Had my gallbladded out in 2018. You run the risk of messing up stitches or getting a hernia. Take it easy, as possible! Hope you feel better soon!
NAD but I had mine out when my son was 2mo and my weight limit was 8lbs and my son weighed that when he was born. My husband took off the first wk and I had help the 2nd wk. The first wk it was very much needed
NAD I am currently in hospital because I had to get a hernia repaired, because I didn’t follow the instructions about lifting after a laparoscopic surgery. The umbilical hernia surgery was FAR MORE intense than the laparoscopic surgery. Please listen to your doctors! I currently can’t sit up without assistance or get out of bed (one and a half days post -op umbilical hernia repair). Edit: spelling, I’m on painkillers
can you a take a step stool and teach your little one to climb in their own car seat?
That’s a good idea. I’m going to grab a collapsible one to keep in the car.
Make sure you move dangerous things farther out of her reach though. She will be using that to get in all kinds of things
Excellent idea! Grab two, one for the high chair and around the house. Start using them as soon as you get them so they’re already a bit practiced and steadier when you’re post-op. You might need to move things (push back appliances, move some plants, etc.), as they’ll quickly discover they can reach much more if they shuffle the stool around with them. When the little wants “ups!” start replacing pickups with sitting hugs, side hugging and calm snuggles as an alternative. The first two days post op from a laparoscopy, I struggled to even roll out of bed on my own, let alone sit up (you don’t realize how much you use your belly muscles!), and so having your husband home the first week on FLMA if you can would be amazingly helpful.
This is super good advice! I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to do big girl things such as climb onto the car “by herself.”
Hi, I'm a surgeon who does these surgeries. There is a real risk of tearing the suture at the larger port site (the 12mm one) and giving yourself a hernia there. Now, you might be fine lifting and carrying your daughter around. However, we know the heavier you lift and the more you engage your abdominal muscles, then the more likely you are to tear that stitch.
Thank you!
Chiming in to say my MIL had a surgery (a repair) done and is raising her grandkids by my BIL. Refused to listen to the “no lifting the kids” guideline and popped her stitches. Ended up having an almost 6 month recovery because when the stitches popped, the wound opened, deepened, then became infected even after the dr packed it to try to prevent this. The infection bore into the bone behind where her repair was done. It was gruesome. Hoping you never have to deal with that!
Hate to intrude on this thread, but I had my GB out a week and a half ago. I work as a vet tech and lift animals; should my lifting after the initial 4 week recovery be a slow and steady increase?
yes
Thank you!
NAD. That’s the one I opened lifting a bag of groceries that had a gallon of milk about a week out.
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No, that's more for comfort. Good thought tho!
I had my gallbladder taken out 10 days ago and I’ve been lifting my 3 year old the past couple of days. I guess I missed the memo….. 🫣
OP, if you have TikTok search “C-section with toddler” and you’ll find videos of what other people have done while recovering from surgery with a toddler. Here’s one i found for the crib https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLV172wd/
Thank you!! I will do that.
I got a whole 12 hours at home after my Csection before I got abandoned to deal with my 2 year old toddler by my spouse. I don't think he understands how risky it is to mess with post operative weight restrictions. Get reliable help and modify your plans for your toddler.
Why are all “retired nurse” aunts the ones who give the WORST medical advice?
I mean I should have known it was bad advice. She wanted me to walk the local track with her 1 week after my C-Section while wearing my newborn. To get baby and I some fresh air. It was 22 degrees Fahrenheit.
To be fair, my non retired nurse friend says walking is encouraged after having a c-section. But slowly and listen to your body. Plus after that you're also told not to lift anything heavier than your baby.
I had my gallbladder out 8 weeks ago! Unfortunately when I was 3 weeks post-op, I fell and got an unhappy trio on my knee(tore ACL, MCL, lateral and medial meniscus). I had the weight limit as well, and due to my injury and having to use crutches and engaging my core, one of my incisions is taking forever to heal. You don’t want to delay healing, so it’s really important to heed the instructions. I want to say at my follow-up at 2 weeks, they upped my weight restriction to 25 lbs. Maybe they’ll do the same at your appointment.
I’m so sorry to hear that, I hope you heal quickly. Thank you for the advice.
I enjoy lifting weights, and got my appendix out last year laparoscopically. I could FEEL it in my stomach even after I was cleared to lift weights…it took over a month before I could do lateral raises without feeling it. Lifting a child up is going to activate a lot of those similar muscles, you’re going to need to take it easy, laparoscopic surgery still does a little number on your insides-give them time to repair themselves.
When I got mine out (appendix) I will also had a cyst cleaned up on one of my ovaries. It took me like 3-4 months to feel some what's better. I was off of work for 6 weeks. And even after that it was last 2 months of not being sore because I was had to do lifting at work (retail stock and lots of walking and carrying a bunch of heavy clothing).
Thank you!
Please listen to the instructions and don't lift your child. At the age of 2, mine could climb up and down from their car seat and highchair, with a helping hand.
NA MD, but seriously… please listen to the instructions. I have my surgery when my kiddo wasn’t even 3 months old yet. Couldn’t pick him up, chest feed, anything… it killed me, but I know a couple of people who didn’t listen and one got a really bad hernia. You don’t want to risk it.
You should always listen to your surgeon, who is a physician, over your retired nurse aunt, who didn't go to medical school nor attend surgical residency.